آن للشاعر إطلاق العنانْ

آن للشاعر إطلاق العنانْ

ليوفِّي حق هذا المهرجانْ

ليوفِّي حق هذا المهرجانْ

The time has come to give the poet free rein,

The time has come for the poet to loosen the reins,

that he may render this celebration its due.

to pay this festival its due.

وأغالي في امتداحي ملكاً

وأغالي في امتداحي ملكاً

ليَ في دولته خير مكان

ليَ في دولته خير مكان

Let me go to excess in praising a king

And I go to extremes in praising a king

in whose realm I hold the finest station.

in whose realm I have the finest place.

ألهمتني كل معنى باهر

ألهمتني كل معنى باهر

فيه أخلاقٌ وأوصافٌ حسان

فيه أخلاقٌ وأوصافٌ حسان

His realm inspired in me every splendid thought:

They have inspired me with every dazzling thought—

in him are virtues and qualities most fair.

the virtues and beautiful qualities within him.

أنكر القوم اعتقادي أنه

أنكر القوم اعتقادي أنه

قادر في قبضتيه المشرقان

قادر في قبضتيه المشرقان

The people disavowed my belief that he

The people denied my belief that he

could hold both Easts within his grasp.

is mighty, holding the two Easts in his fists.

أنا لا أضمر سوءاً وكفى

أنا لا أضمر سوءاً وكفى

أن شعري لفؤادي ترجمان

أن شعري لفؤادي ترجمان

I harbor no ill intent; it is enough

I harbor no ill will, and it is enough

that my poetry interprets my heart.

that my poetry interprets my heart.

هل أراه عاجزاً عن نيل ما

هل أراه عاجزاً عن نيل ما

لم ينله أبواه السابقان

لم ينله أبواه السابقان

Could I deem him unable to attain what

Do I deem him incapable of attaining what

his two forebears before him never attained?

his two forefathers before him did not attain?

وهو عون الدين والمولى الذي

وهو عون الدين والمولى الذي

نصر السلطان في هذا الزمان

نصر السلطان في هذا الزمان

He is the faith’s defender, the lord who

And he is the faith's support, and the lord who

has championed the Sultan in this age.

aided the Sultan in this age.

وأطاعته البرايا وبدا

وأطاعته البرايا وبدا

حكمه العادل فيهم واستبان

حكمه العادل فيهم واستبان

All creation obeyed him, and

And humankind obeyed him, and there appeared

his just rule appeared among them and stood manifest.

his just rule among them, plainly revealed.

قام بالأمر فما كان سوى

قام بالأمر فما كان سوى

ما ابتغته في الأعادي الدولتان

ما ابتغته في الأعادي الدولتان

He assumed command, and it was nothing other than

He took charge of the affair, and all that came to pass was

what the two states had sought against their enemies.

what the two states had sought against their enemies.

وأجار الملك من غاصبه

وأجار الملك من غاصبه

وكفى الأوطان شر الحدثان

وكفى الأوطان شر الحدثان

He delivered the kingdom from its usurper

And he protected the realm from its usurper

and spared the homelands the evil of calamity.

and spared the homelands the ravages of time.

ثاقب الرأي حكيم حاذق

ثاقب الرأي حكيم حاذق

يظهر الشدة حيناً والليان

يظهر الشدة حيناً والليان

Keen in judgment, wise and skillful,

Keen in judgment, wise and adept,

he shows severity at times, and gentleness.

he shows sternness at times, and gentleness.

وله في كل يوم همة

وله في كل يوم همة

وندى تثنى عليه الأُمَّتان

وندى تثنى عليه الأُمَّتان

Each day he has a noble purpose

And each day he shows resolve

and a generosity praised by the two nations.

and generosity, for which the two nations praise him.

يا شباب الملك يا بهجته

يا شباب الملك يا بهجته

دمت للملك رجاء وأمان

دمت للملك رجاء وأمان

O youth of the kingdom, O its delight,

O youth of the realm, O its joy,

may you remain the kingdom’s hope and safeguard.

may you remain the realm's hope and security.

إن عرشاً تتجلى فوقه

إن عرشاً تتجلى فوقه

لَمقامٌ يشتهيه النيِّران

لَمقامٌ يشتهيه النيِّران

Indeed, a throne upon which you shine

Indeed, a throne upon which you shine

is a station coveted by the sun and moon;

is a station coveted by the sun and moon.

وحساماً تنتضيه غازياً

وحساماً تنتضيه غازياً

لَنذيرٌ يتقيه الثقلان

لَنذيرٌ يتقيه الثقلان

and a sword you draw as a warrior

And a sharp sword you unsheathe on campaign

is a warning dreaded by humankind and jinn;

is a warning that humankind and jinn fear.

ومناراً تبتنيه عالياً

ومناراً تبتنيه عالياً

لِهُدى الناسِ لَباقٍ غير فان

لِهُدى الناسِ لَباقٍ غير فان

and a beacon you build aloft

And a beacon you build on high

to guide the people shall endure, never fading.

to guide the people will surely endure, never passing away.

إن مصراً لعروسٌ زفَّها

إن مصراً لعروسٌ زفَّها

وحلاها عيدك الأسنى وزان

وحلاها عيدك الأسنى وزان

Egypt is indeed a bride, escorted forth

Indeed, Egypt is a bride, led in wedding procession

and adorned and beautified by your radiant feast.

and adorned and graced by your most radiant festival.

فهي في حليتها باهرة

فهي في حليتها باهرة

تملأ الأنفس أنساً وافتتان

تملأ الأنفس أنساً وافتتان

Resplendent in her ornaments,

So she is dazzling in her finery,

she fills every soul with joy and enchantment.

filling souls with delight and enchantment.

لك ماضيها وآتيها كما

لك ماضيها وآتيها كما

لك غالي تاجها والصولجان

لك غالي تاجها والصولجان

Yours are her past and her future, just as

Her past and her future are yours, just as

yours are her precious crown and scepter.

her precious crown and scepter are yours.

ولك النيلان ينسابان بال

ولك النيلان ينسابان بال

خير في قطرين صارا كالجنان

خير في قطرين صارا كالجنان

For you the two Niles flow with—

And yours are the two Niles, flowing with

goodness through two lands now made like gardens;

bounty in two lands that have become like gardens.

وحصون وجيوش عودت

وحصون وجيوش عودت

مصر أن تنصر في الحرب العوان

مصر أن تنصر في الحرب العوان

and fortresses and armies have accustomed

And yours are fortresses and armies that have accustomed

Egypt to triumph in the fiercest war;

Egypt to victory in recurring warfare,

ولواء تنشر الأمن به

ولواء تنشر الأمن به

وارف الظل شديد الخفقان

وارف الظل شديد الخفقان

and a banner with which you spread peace,

and a banner through which you spread security,

broad in shade and beating mightily.

ample in shade and vigorous in its fluttering.

يا ابن توفيق أجب دعوة من

يا ابن توفيق أجب دعوة من

لم يروا غيرك مولى مستعان

لم يروا غيرك مولى مستعان

O son of Tawfiq, answer the plea of those

O son of Tawfiq, answer the call of those

who see no lord but you to whom they may turn for aid.

who have seen no lord but you to turn to for aid.

ولما تنويه في الأرض انتهز

ولما تنويه في الأرض انتهز

هذه الفرصة إن الوقت حان

هذه الفرصة إن الوقت حان

For what you intend upon the earth, seize

And for what you intend on earth, seize

this opportunity: the time has come.

this opportunity; indeed, the time has come.

وانصر الشرق على أعدائه

وانصر الشرق على أعدائه

فلقد دان بنوه منذ دان

فلقد دان بنوه منذ دان

Give the East victory over its enemies,

And aid the East against its enemies,

for its sons have long been brought low, ever since they bowed.

for its sons have submitted ever since it submitted.

فهو لا يرضى مليكاً آمراً

فهو لا يرضى مليكاً آمراً

غير من يحمى حماه أن يهان

غير من يحمى حماه أن يهان

It will accept no sovereign commanding it

For it accepts no king to command it

save one who guards its sanctuary from humiliation.

except one who guards its domain from humiliation.

واملأ الواديَ بشراً ورضاً

واملأ الواديَ بشراً ورضاً

لوفود الشكر من قاص ودان

لوفود الشكر من قاص ودان

Fill the Valley with gladness and contentment

And fill the valley with joy and contentment

for delegations of thanks from far and near.

for delegations bearing thanks from far and near.

وارع شعباً طائعاً مستسلماً

وارع شعباً طائعاً مستسلماً

حبه فيك تجلى للعيان

حبه فيك تجلى للعيان

Tend a people obedient and yielding,

And tend a people obedient and submissive,

whose love for you stands plain to see.

whose love for you has become plain to see.

ومن الصدق مغالاتيَ في

ومن الصدق مغالاتيَ في

مدحك المعجز أبطال البيان

مدحك المعجز أبطال البيان

Part of my sincerity is my excess in

And sincere is my extravagance in

praising you—a praise that confounds the masters of eloquence.

praising you, which baffles the champions of eloquence.

ومحال أن تراني غافلاً

ومحال أن تراني غافلاً

عنك يوماً أو يقول القوم خان

عنك يوماً أو يقول القوم خان

It is impossible that you should find me heedless

And it is impossible that you should find me heedless

of you one day, or that the people should say, “He betrayed.”

of you for a day, or that the people should say, 'He was disloyal.'

فتحكم في زمان خاضع

فتحكم في زمان خاضع

لك بالعيدين نادى بشريان

لك بالعيدين نادى بشريان

So rule in an age submissive

So rule in an age that bows

to you—an age that proclaimed two glad tidings at the two feasts.

to you; at the two festivals, two glad tidings have rung out.